The present invention relates to a motor vehicle having outer lateral side rails in the area of a passenger compartment which are adjoined by additional side rails in the forward structure of the vehicle and/or in the rearward structure of the vehicle which are provided particularly with a right-angle bend. Elements which reinforce the vehicle body are connected with the side rails, at one of the element ends, and/or with an underbody or underbody components at their other end.
From German Patent Document DE-39 05 650 C1, a self-supporting motor vehicle body is known which, for increasing its stiffness with respect to torsion, has struts on the underbody which are fastened to the side rail by means of at least one end and are fixed to the underbody by means of their opposite end.
An object of the present invention is to provide a motor vehicle in which, by means of reinforcing elements, an optimal stiffness with respect to torsion of the vehicle body and a defined support of a wheel suspension are ensured.
This and other objects are achieved by the present invention which provides a motor vehicle having a vehicle body, comprising outer lateral side rails in a passenger compartment area and adjoining additional side rails in at least one of the forward structure of the vehicle and the rearward structure of the vehicle, said side rails having a right-angle bend, and reinforcing elements which reinforce the vehicle body. The reinforcing elements are connected with the side rails on one end of the elements and to an underbody at another end of the elements. The reinforcing elements include a first V-shaped strutting which extends in an approximately horizontal plane in a longitudinal direction of the vehicle and a second V-shaped strutting, connected to the first strutting and which extends in an approximately perpendicular transverse plane. The first strutting has free ends fastened to the side rails and other ends fastened to the second strutting at a common connecting area. The second strutting has free ends which support the second strutting on the side rails.
Some of the advantages achieved by the present invention are that, via two struttings, which are connected with one another and are arranged in different planes, a desired stiffness with respect to torsion can be achieved in a simple manner and a support of a wheel suspension can take place on lateral support parts. In certain embodiments, these lateral support parts are held and supported between the strutting and a side rail of the vehicle body.
In certain embodiments of the invention, the struttings have a V-shaped construction, the first strutting extending in a horizontal plane and the second strutting extending in a perpendicular transverse plane, and the two struttings are connected with one another. The struttings are made of profiled struts, tubes or the like and are in each case fastened to the side rail by means of one of their ends. The other ends of the struts, which form the tip of the V, are directly connected with one another. For achieving a stiffness with respect to torsion and according to the requirements, the struttings may be provided in the rearward and in the forward structure of the vehicle, or only in the rearward structure, or only in the forward structure. The struts extend in a diverging manner from the longitudinal center axis of the vehicle to the side rails.
For supporting the links of a wheel suspension, in certain embodiments one support part respectively is provided for each vehicle side and extends in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle. On its bottom side, this support part is connected to the horizontal strutting and, on its top side, it is connected to the side rail. For the transverse support, a cross member is arranged between the lateral support parts, and a transverse rod may be provided between the struts. This transverse rod will be provided only if the struts of the horizontal strutting have a bend.
The support parts have a U-shaped construction such that a wheel drive shaft can be guided through between vertical legs, and the remaining web is screwed to the horizontal strutting. In or on the legs of the support parts, respective receiving devices for bearings of links of a wheel suspension are provided. These receiving devices are an integrating component of the support part.
So that a drive assembly can be arranged in the vehicle unimpaired by the struttings, in certain embodiments the horizontal strutting has bent struts which are then supported via the transverse rod in the bent area. This transverse rod may be made of a hollow profile, a tube or of profiled solid material.
For fastening the free ends of the cross member, the support part has receiving devices in which the ends, which are bent at right angles, are fastened by screws. The support part may be a casting or a sheet metal stamping.
Other objects, advantages and novel features of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description of the invention when considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.